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The Gravity Front
On March 3, UC 0079, battleships from the Earth Federation and Principality of Zeon trade fire in Earth orbit as Zeon's terrestrial invasion begins. On the ground, Zeon soldiers are joined by Zaku II mobile suits, giving them a considerable advantage over the Federation forces. Kycilia Zabi addresses her troops and outlines how Zeon will conquer the Earth. In subsequent operations, more Zeon troops descend to the surface and conquer more of the Earth. On April 26, two Dopp fighters fly patrol at night and come under fire from Federation anti-air missiles. One of the Dopps is destroyed by a missile, creating a God of Death. In Southern Europe, Ben Barberry thinks about a previous battle and scream out in anger. Papa Sydney Lewis, one of Barberry's men, informs him that he's being called by a superior officer. Barberry absently crosses the dirt road and is nearly run over by a Type 61 tank. After yelling at the tank driver, he meets with Michele Corematta. Corematta tells Barberry that they'll be falling back 200 kilometers to get supplies from Matilda Ajan and build a stronger defense line. He wants Barberry to advance forward 50 kilometers with a new anti-mobile suit platoon and cover the battalion as it retreats. Barberry asks where his recruits are and isn't impressed by the men Corematta points out. Barberry says he lost most of his men in the last battle and asks if Corematta is doubting his command ability. Corematta says he's counting on Barberry's skills, and Barberry comments that people call him a God of Death who soaks up the blood of his own men. He pulls out the collection of dog tags from his fallen men, and Corematta points out that the real Gods of Death are the Zakus that come from the sky. Barberry wants to know why he can't use the Type 61s, and Corematta tells him his Zaku Hunters have a job to complete. As night falls, Barberry grumbles to himself about his orders and thinks about how badly things have gone since the Zakus appeared. As Lewis drives the jeep, Barberry thinks to himself that the anti-mobile suit missile "Regina" is just an anti-tank missile scaled up for mobile suits. Lewis asks what their orders are, and Barberry tells him they have to fight three Zakus. Lewis says he'd like for Zakus to disappear and notices that Barberry has fallen asleep. The God of Death finds Barberry and appears in his dream. Barberry thinks that he's in hell, and the God of Death tells him he keeps fighting in a hellish place despite losing all his men. Barberry thinks that he has to defeat the Zakus for the sake of his lost men. He then wakes up and is blinded by the sunlight. Barberry's jeeps drive through the ruins of a town and stop because there's a large hole in the middle of the road. After reaching the battlefield, the men unload the Reginas and begin setting them up behind rock emplacements. Barberry can't see the Zakus with binoculars, and Lewis gets intel over the radio that two have been spotted. Surveying the area, Barberry sees some of his men climbing a platform and yells at them to come down. When one of them complains about how long it took them to climb, Barberry asks Lewis how much training they've had and is shocked that the answer is two weeks. He asks them how they'll regroup if their shot misses, but he's interrupted when a soldier tells him a Zaku has been spotted. Barberry grabs his binoculars and sees a Federation cargo truck being chased by a Zaku. The other Zeon soldiers tell Zaku pilot Bebel to not bother with such a small target, but he says the Federation is their enemy and shoots at the truck. Barberry signals all squads to target the Zaku and fire at his command. He wants the Zaku to get closer, and he's surprised when he sees a Federation soldier emerge from the blasted truck. The soldier runs toward them and is chased by the Zaku. The men ask for orders, but Barberry says the Zaku isn't close enough. Barberry tells them to hold fire, and the soldier trips and is stepped on by the Zaku. Bebel cries and laments how pathetic he has become. He fires a flare, and another soldier tells him to hold out until they catch up. Barberry orders his squads to take aim at different parts of the Zaku, including the legs and backpack. The men on the platform fire early, giving Bebel enough time to doge. The rest of the shots hit his machine gun and legs. Barberry orders the third and fourth squads to switch and fire again. Another Zaku appears and begins firing to give Bebel cover. The third squad is destroyed, and the Zaku throws a truck at Barberry's men. Another missile hits the head of Bebel's Zaku and causes it to fall down again. The other Zaku opens fire at their defensive line and destroys the second squad. Barberry ducks for cover and sees that several of his men are dead. He gets a call from the men on the platform, who get killed with a heat hawk. Lewis jumps into a jeep to attack the Zaku over Barberry's objections. The jeep circles around the Zaku, which fires an anti-personnel mine that kills Lewis and the driver. Left alone, Barberry grabs a Regina and says the Earth belongs to them. As he takes aim, the Death God tells him that's the spirit she's looking for. The Zaku fires leg missiles and begins to run toward Barberry, but it falls into a sinkhole. Barberry fires the Regina, and the missile takes out the Zaku. Barberry laments that he's the only survivor again and says he only sees Gods of Death everywhere. The ground shakes as the third Zaku emerges from its cover in a nearby hole. Barberry pulls out his gun and screams as he shoots at the Zaku. Later, the battle report records that Barberry was killed in action. On July 21 a Federation soldier on a smoking European battlefield is shot by Zaku II pilot Elmer Snell, nicknamed as the White Ogre. Through constant attacks, the Zeon are forcing the Federation toward the Strait of Dover. Rayban Surat asks several soldiers sitting on a Type 61 where he can find his platoon. One of the soldiers tells Surat that he's unlucky to be paired with Herman Yandell, and another mentions that Yandell lives with a God of Death. They tell Surat that he can find Yandell at the Type 61 with a stalled engine. Surat reports for duty, and Yandell tells him to get into the driver's seat. Surat hops into the tank and asks about the engine, but Yandell tells Surat that the tank will start if it likes him. The engine doesn't turn on at first, but Surat tries again and it finally activates. Yandell tells him to start driving so they can begin training. Yandell tells Surat to speed up, but Surat cautions that they could overload the suspension. Surat shakes from the intense movement and nearly slams into two other Type 61s head on, but they swerve to avoid him. Surat and Yandell reach the training ground and immediately begin firing paint rounds at the other Type 61s. The other tanks open fire at Surat and Yandell, but all their shots miss. Yandell keeps firing and hits the remaining tanks, which leaves Surat surprised. Afterward, Surat catches his breath and is surprised when he actually sees Yandell for the first time. Yandell jumps down from the Type 61, revealing the creaking sound of his artificial leg. Earlier, Yandell's Type 61 encountered Snell and was crushed by his Zaku. Yandell tells Surat that his predecessor went crazy and was hospitalized. He says that there's apparently a God of Death on his back, and he asks Surat to tell him what it looks like if he ever sees it. Four days later, the Type 61 battalion assembles for combat. The commander tells them that the Zeon units led by Neuen Bitter are being led south to a decoy unit, giving them the chance to fight Zeon ground forces that won't have mobile suits. As the rest of the battalion advances, Yandell orders his platoon to stay put. He says his tank's engine won't start because it's only happy when it fights mobile suits. Mechanics complain about always having to check Yandell's tank and wonder if he's just faking sickness. Surat rushes at the mechanics and knocks one of them down, but they punch him. Over the radio, Yandell tells Surat that he wants to defeat Snell. The God of Death says that she wants to see Yandell's revenge. On the battlefield, the Type 61s force the Magella Attacks to fall back, but they come under attack from a Zaku. Yandell is furious when he watches a Zeon propaganda video declares that their forces were again victorious in Europe, especially Snell. At night, Surat tells Corematta that Yandell has a personal vendetta against Snell, so he can't follow Yandell's orders anymore. Corematta points out that Yandell has survived up to now, and that if Surat listens to his orders, he'll survive too. Corematta says that after the losses earlier in the day, they need talented individuals like Yandell, who suddenly appears behind Surat. Yandell comments that Surat is the first to ever question his ability to command. Yandell asks Corematta what he thinks of the plan, and Corematta answers that he's already leaked the false info, so they'll sortie tonight. Surat doesn't understand, and Corematta says that if Yandell can defeat Snell it might derail some of the enemy's plans. As they drive out in the night, Surat asks Yandell what Corematta meant by false info. Yandell explains that it's a common lie where it's leaked that high-ranking officers are coming to the battlefield for a meeting. Surat asks if Snell will fall for a trap like that, but Yandell says he won't. Nearby, Snell's Zaku squad marches and prepares to intercept. Snell knows that he's going into a trap, but he's waiting for the enemy that will change his destiny. Snell stops moving and requests to withdraw because his Zaku isn't working. Surat asks Yandell why they're taking position at the site of the earlier battle, but Yandell just tells him to get some sleep. Surat says he can't sleep, and Yandell tells him he should've shared his opinions with Corematta earlier. Surat asks Yandell if he can hear the voices of the fallen soldiers. Yandell grabs Surat by the collar and asks him if he can see the God of Death on his back. Surat answers that he saw it the moment he met Yandell, and he thinks it's the Zeon God of Death. Yandell says there have been times he hears a voice that isn't his own echoing inside his head. Surat asks Yandell why he keeps fighting and didn't get a discharge, and Yandell answers that there's no place to go home too. He was defeated by Snell, and he no longer has a homeland or family. He put all his resentment onto Snell's Zaku, believing that if he could defeat it he could start over. Surat says he doesn't understand and comments that Snell is probably possessed too and has no home to return to. Snell stops and tells the other Zakus he can detect the enemy, but they can't find anything with all the heat radiation in the wreckage. The Type 61s then open fire, and the Zakus return fire. The three Zakus slide down the hill and destroy one of the tanks. Yandell tells his men not to get too close, but another tank is destroyed. Yandell fires his bazooka and destroys another tank. One of the Zakus jumps over and destroys another tank. A Zaku trips on a wrecked tank and falls, but the other attacks from the side and destroys a tank. They blind it with their flash bangs and destroy it while the pilot can't see. One of the Zakus kicks a tank over to Snell, who crushes it with his foot. Yandell tells Surat to fire smoke rounds, which quickly fill up the battlefield. One of the Zakus destroys a tank, and Surat climbs onto a ruined tank to lift the Type 61s barrel. Yandell fires and destroys the Zaku, leaving only Snell. After the smoke clears, Snell destroys a tank and assumes he's gotten both platoons. He says he's seen this scene in his nightmares daily, but he didn't know the ending. He smashes a wrecked tank and declares that he's defeated the God of Death. He's then shot from behind by Yandell and Surat. Yandell laughs because they had nine tanks instead of eight, and he fires several more rounds, destroying Snell's Zaku. Surat hops out of the tank and looks at Snell's ruined Zaku while Yandell laughs at his victory. Yandell believes he's also free of the curse, but he gets hit by a round from Zeon infantry, which destroys his Type 61. Surat dives for cover in a nearby hole and survives. He wonders if he was left behind by the God of Death as a witness, but like Yandell, he has no home to return to. As the Federation continues its pushback against the Zeon in Europe with Operation Odessa, Lt. Arleen Nazon is released from prison. On November 8, Federation ground forces and GM Ground Type mobile suits engage in fierce fighting with the Zeon as they move toward M'Quve at Odessa. The Federation ground forces are hit hard by a Zeon Dabude land battleship. After the battle, Corematta curses the Dabude and vows that it will be destroyed in the next day's battle. He then turns his attention to three arrive prototype Ground Assault Type Guntanks piloted by Arleen, Milos Karppi and Doroba Kuzuwayo. Corematta tells Arleen and her men that he would've sent them back to prison if they were late. Corematta informs her that tomorrow they'll be launching an all-out attack on the Zeon to break the deadlock. Corematta is dismissive of the Guntanks, and Kuzuwayo yells back that they've been busy fighting across Europe. Corematta mocks the Guntank and wonders if it can even be called a mobile suit. Later, Arleen looks at the Moon from the top of the Guntank and recalls that its development was stopped after its specs were stolen. Inside the cockpit, she looks at a picture of herself and former partner Clyde Bettany. The Guntank's monitors are then filled with pictures of Bettany, and the God of Death emerges. She asks Arleen why she burns with the flame of revenge, and Arleen answers that it's all she has left. The God of Death says that she sees everything and tells Arleen that she'll eventually die. Arleen then wakes up and finds that it's already morning. GMs and Type 61 tanks move forward into the battle, with the Guntanks in the rear. Kuzuwayo wonders how it was that they were able to find the enemy's position so accurately, and Karppi comments that the Zeon must have a traitor in their ranks. He then apologizes to Arleen for saying that, but she tells him she doesn't care. Big Tray and Heavy Fork land battleships begin bombarding the Zeon lines, and Corematta orders his forces to advance. GMs run into a cloud of smoke generated from the Federation bombardment and immediately come under fire from Zaku IIs. Several fall into a pit filled with explosives that is detonated. One GM survives and is downed by explosives from Wappa hover bikes. Karppi wonders how they're supposed to provide backup, and Kuzuwayo points out that they're usually in the lead. The Guntanks then move forward, and Arleen spins around a Zaku to destroy it from the rear. She then uses her arm cannons to destroy several Magella Attack tanks. A Gouf Custom attacks from the side and is taken down the by the Guntanks and GMs. Arleen gives Corematta the coordinates to the Zeon gun emplacements, and they're destroyed by an attack from the Big Tray. Watching from a hover truck, Corematta is impressed by how the Guntanks are performing. The area near him is hit by artillery fire, and Arleen realizes it's the Dabude. She then recalls how she was court-martialed for providing information to the Zeon and sentenced to life in prison. A Federation officer later told Arleen that he had information on where Bettany had run off to after betraying them to the Zeon. Arleen is convinced that Bettany is on the Dabude and blames him for taking away the Guntank and her future. The three Guntanks then fire missiles at the Dabude, which destroy several Zakus. The Guntanks storm past Zeon defenses, and Arleen uses a flamethrower to take them out. A Zaku chases after Kuzuwayo, but he drops several land mines and destroys it. He gets distracted by scoring a kill and is shot up by a Zaku I from the front. Kuzuwayo then activates his self destruct and blows up along with the Zaku. Arleen and Karppi then continue their assault on the Dabude, but Karppi is hit and loses an arm. Arleen stops to destroy three attacking Zakus, and Karppi performs a kamikaze attack on the Dabude. Arleen is almost hit by additional artillery fire and realizes it's not coming from the damaged Dabude. She speeds up a hill and spots another Dabude in the distance, but Corematta gives her orders to ignore the new Dabude. She asks why, and he tells her it's a direct order from headquarters. The Guntank loses power, and Arleen wonders what she'll do if she stops now since she's been living for this. The God of Death appears and tells Arleen to go, so she charges in. Corematta asks Arleen for a situation report, but she ignores him. She fires missiles at several Magella Attacks and dodges fire from the Dabude and Zakus. Two Doms fire their bazookas and destroy one of the Guntank's treads. Arleen destroys one at a distance and the second when it closes in for a melee attack. She then charges the Dabude again and is hit, crashing in front of it. The Dabude then comes to a stop and tries to pull back so that she can't kamikaze them. As Arleen is about to pull the trigger, the God of Death stops her and asks if she really wants to do that. Bettany calls Arleen, and she accuses him of using her and selling out to the Zeon. Bettany tries to explain things, but she thinks he's just pleading for his life. He can't believe she's alive, and she tells him she's been living for this day. Bettany tells Arleen he didn't try to deceive her, and she activates the self destruct sequence. The Guntank then explodes, destroying the Dabude with it. Later, Arleen's spirit wakes up outside the Guntank, and she wonders if she's alive. The God of Death then appears and asks Arleen if she can hear the voice of the man who became a Zeon traitor and passed info back to the Federation. Arleen then remembers Corematta's last order, and the God of Death reveals that Bettany was a double agent for the Federation. As Arleen cries, the area is bombarded by artillery fire from the Big Tray and Heavy Fork. Later, the God of Death muses that even though tears get pulled down by gravity, the gates of Hell are still open.